Overprotective
by Klutzygirl33
Summary: Following Wannabe In The Weeds, Bones is avoiding what happened by baking, cleaning, and being overprotective of new boyfriend Booth. She's also having nightmares.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Bones.

**Nightmares**

"Don't die," Temperance begged to Booth.

"Love you," Booth whispered before closing his eyes for the final time.

"Don't leave me," Bones begged, but it was too late.

She woke up screaming. Max, Russ, and Angela rushed into the bedroom. Booth still had a few days left in the hospital, and he had asked their friends to stay with her. They were now in shifts. Cam, Zack, and Sweets were going to start in a half hour. Hodgins, Caroline, and Amy were on the third shift. Cam had granted Hodgins, Jack, Angela, Temperance, and herself a two week vacation, although Temperance could take more time off.

"What's wrong?" Max asked.

"He died and left me alone, Daddy," Temperance sobbed.

"You're okay, Baby. Booth's fine. Daddy wouldn't lie to you," Max soothed.

Temperance calmed down a few minutes later.

"Sorry," she apologized.

"You don't have to be sorry," Russ said.

Temperance fell asleep as the second shift started.

She woke up from another nightmare an hour later, but was on the verge of a panic attack.

"Breathe in and out," Sweets instructed as Cam rubbed the sobbing forensic anthropologist's back.

"Are you?" Cam asked as Temperance finally calmed down.

Temperance nodded. "Don't lie, Dr. Brennan," Zack said.

"I'm not lying," she lied, but the three left her alone anyway.

When she woke up at 4:30AM, Hodgins, Caroline, and Amy had taken over.

Temperance started baking chocolate chip cookies to keep her busy until she could go to the hospital.

After finishing with her baking, Temperance cleaned the kitchen from top to bottom.

She got a shower afterwards, and cleaned the bathroom really well. Against her better wishes, Hodgins drove Temperance to the hospital.

"Hi, Babe," Booth said when he saw his girlfriend. The two had admitted their feelings for each other three days earlier, after the shooting.

"Hi, Booth," Temperance asked. She leaned over and the two began to make out.

"This is uncomfortable," Hodgins said as he walked in. The two pulled apart.

"Why don't you go eat with Amy?" Caroline asked her.

"I'm not hungry," Temperance lied.

"Go eat," Booth told her.

Temperance sighed. "I'll be right back," she promised Booth.

"I know you will, Bones." As soon as she entered the elevator, Caroline turned to Booth.

"What?" he asked, noticing her stare.

"She's having nightmares, baking, and cleaning the entire apartment," she informed him.

"She's trying to avoid the issue," Hodgins said.

When Caroline and Booth stared at him, he explained that Sweets had told him that.

As Temperance returned, Booth began formulating a plan to get Bones to confront her issues about the shooting.

TBC

* * *

This originally started out a one-shot. Halfway through, I decided to make it longer.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Bones.

Booth was definitely worried about Bones. She had complained about the hospital floor being too dirty. She had also gone into the bathroom to get paper towel so she could clean the floor.

Caroline had ended up coming in and stopping her.

"But it needs to be clean so Booth doesn't get an infection," Bones had insisted.

"It's not that dirty," Caroline had told her.

"You're going to have the cleanest apartment when you get home," Bones told Booth.

"Are you okay?" Booth asked his new girlfriend.

"Of course I am," Temperance said.

"You're not acting like yourself, Bones."

"I am acting like myself, Booth."

"Temperance, something's not right."

"Booth, I'm fine," she insisted.

"Why don't you go home, Babe? You've been here for hours. It's 6:30 in the afternoon."

"Good idea. I'll clean and bake again." Booth just stared at her. This was not the Temperance Charity Brennan that he knew.

"Love you," he told her.

"Love you too, Booth."

Temperance smiled at him, and got into the car with Russ, Max, and Angela. They were taking over now.

As soon as she got home, she began baking brownies. She had already made chocolate chip cookies, so Booth needed something else.

"I didn't know you bake," Angela said to her.

"Ruth taught her how," Max explained.

"It's Christine," Temperance sing-songed as she continued to make the brownie batter.

"You're acting really weird," Russ pointed out.

"My partner just got shot," Temperance chirped.

"Temperance Charity Brennan, calm down," Max cried.

"Dad, don't use my full name. Besides, I am calm."

"So what was her original full name?" a curious Angela asked Max.

"Joy Chastity Keenan," Max announced proudly.

Temperance looked up shocked, but she quickly went back to her brownies.

"She never had a chance either way," Russ commented, laughing.

Angela nodded. "Which is worse? Joy Chastity or Temperance Charity?"

"My full name is Russell Andrew Brennan," Russ said.

"And your original name?" Angela asked.

"Kyle Styx Keenan," he said, wincing.

Angela turned to Max. "Ruth named the kids. She loved the band Styx and she was really loved weird names."

"Can you stop talking so I can bake?" Temperance asked.

Back at the hospital, Booth had already informed Hodgins, Sweets, Caroline, Cam, Zack, Amy, and Rebecca about his plan to help Bones.

The door opened, and his parents stepped in. They had arrived from Pittsburgh a day after their son had been shot. Temperance had only met them one day, and it hadn't been great. She had been in bloody clothes and slightly in shock.

Alana liked her son's new girlfriend. Sam didn't, however. He didn't think it was right that she had stayed at the hospital.

"How are you doing?" Sam asked Seeley.

"Great," Booth answered.

"Seeley Jackson Booth, don't lie to us," Alana scolded.

"It still hurts a little," he admitted.

"How's Temperance?" Alana asked.

"She's baking, cleaning, having nightmares, and avoiding everything," Booth explained.

"Seeley came up with a plan to help," Caroline told them.

The plan would be set in motion in three days, when Booth left the hospital.

He hoped it would work.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Bones or Wal-Mart.

After finishing with the brownies, Temperance cleaned her kitchen from top to bottom as her friends looked in on with horror.

"She's going nuts," Angela whispered to Russ.

"I think it's just a defense mechanism," Sweets said. Max had called him because he was worried about his daughter.

"How do we get her out of it?" Russ asked.

"Booth's come up with a plan," Angela reminded him.

It was 10:00 at night when Temperance finished cleaning the kitchen.

"I'm going to bake oatmeal cookies tomorrow," she told Sweets, Angela, Russ, and Max.

"Baby, can you please stop baking?" Max asked.

"Why should I stop baking? Booth needs food."

"Sweetie, you've baked a lot," Angela said.

"What do you mean by a lot?"

Russ sighed. "Tempe, you've baked chocolate chip cookies, brownies, peanut butter cookies, M&M cookies, and a pie. You don't even like pie."

"Booth needs a lot of food," Temperance informed her brother.

"I'm so glad he gets out in three days," Sweets whispered to Angela. Angela nodded.

"I'm going to bed," Temperance announced.

"See you in the morning," Angela said.

Temperance went to bed at exactly 10:15PM. She woke up at 1:30AM, screaming and sobbing.

"You're okay," Hodgins assured her.

"Everything's going to be okay," Cam comforted her.

"He got shot and died," she sobbed.

A few minutes later, she fell back asleep.

After waking up sobbing again at 4:05AM, Temperance got out of the bed.

She started to bake the oatmeal cookies. Max saw where his daughter was heading with the baking extravaganza, and had bought all the essential baking items at Wal-Mart after she fallen asleep the first time.

Cam got up with her and watched her bake.

"This is so much," Temperance chirped. Cam wasn't sure what to think about this new version of Temperance Brennan. It was creeping her out immensely.

"After this, I'll probably bake no bake cookies," Temperance happily informed Cam.

"Why are you baking so much?" Cam asked.

"Because it's fun. And because Booth is going to need to eat after he gets out of the hospital."

Cam sighed and left Temperance to her baking.

At 7:00AM, Temperance was finished with both the oatmeal cookies and the no bakes.

She started to bake Snickerdoodles.

She was done baking the Snickerdoodles at 9:00AM. She got a shower, and then cleaned the bathroom.

After that, Caroline, Amy, and Sweets drove her to the hospital to visit Booth.

"What'd you do last night and this morning?" Booth asked her as Alana tried to mother hen him.

"I baked oatmeal cookies, no bake cookies, and Snickerdoodles. After that I cleaned the kitchen and the bathroom."

Booth stared at her. "Bones, why are you cooking and cleaning so much?"

"Because you need food," she chirped.

"I don't need that much food, Bones."

"Yes, you do. I'm going to bake a cake after I leave here today. After that, I think I'll bake biscotti. Doesn't that sound good?"

"Instead of a gunshot wound, I think I'm going to die from eating too many sweets," Booth said seriously.

Temperance stared at him.

"Don't joke like that, Seeley. Besides, you're going to love my baking. It's so good. And you need to keep your strength up."

"Do you like to bake?" Alana asked Temperance.

Temperance shrugged. "It's fun. I'm probably going to clean the apartment after I finish baking. It's going to be wonderful."

"She's really freaking me out," Amy whispered to Caroline.

"Go with it," Caroline whispered back.

"She definitely needs therapy," Sweets whispered to the girls.

At 2:00PM, Booth urged his out of character girlfriend to go home. Angela, Max, and Russ drove her back to her apartment.

Temperance immediately started baking a cheesecake. While the cheesecake was still in the oven, she started to make an Angel Food cake.

"I'm getting tired from watching her," Angela whined to Russ.

"Booth's plan needs to work really fast," Russ told Max and Angela. They nodded.

"You can't eat anything," Temperance shrieked when Russ accidentally went near the container holding the chocolate chip cookies.

Russ winced and went back to his position on the living room couch.

After the Angel Food cake was in the oven, Temperance began to make the biscotti.

After the biscotti were done, Temperance started making sugar cookies.

It was 5:30 when Temperance finished baking the sugar cookies. She immediately began to make the recipe for ladyfingers.

"You need to take a break," Angela advised.

"I don't need a break. Booth is going to need this," Temperance insisted.

At 8:30, Temperance was finished with the sugar cookies. She immediately started to work on ice cream sandwiches.

Max forced his daughter to quit at 10:30. After finishing baking, Temperance began cleaning the kitchen. She was done with that at 11:30.

She went to bed.

Unfortunately, she woke up screaming from a nightmare at 3:30. Cam comforted her again.

Cam really hoped that Booth's plan would work. She didn't know how much Temperance would bake if she was left alone any longer.

TBC

* * *

If you're thinking Temperance is acting weird, that's the way I wanted it. She's putting on a front. Stay tuned for more baking and cooking. There'll be a whole lot more cooked. She'll eventually get into real food instead of sweets.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Bones.

Temperance Brennan was struggling not to fall apart. That's why she cooked and cleaned. It kept the bad thoughts away. Talking with Booth at the hospital took her mind off of everything too. She just… changed when she cooked and cleaned.

"I can't wait to come home tomorrow," Booth told her.

"That's good, Booth."

"Bones, what are you doing?"

"I'm writing down the list of food items that I need to cook with," she chirped happily.

Booth struggled not to say anything. "Be Mean To Temperance" was Step 2 of the plan if Step 1 didn't work out.

"Babe, you're working hard," Booth said.

"No, I'm not. It's really easy, Booth. All you need is good cooking skills. Oh, I should cook applesauce. No, wait. That is kinda hard. I'll just decide on it later."

"Calm down," Booth advised her.

"I am calm, Booth."

Angela, Max, and Russ took her home a little while later. She began cooking tuna noodle casserole. When she put that in the oven, she started to make macaroni salad.

"She's scaring me," Max confessed.

"Coming from a sociopath, that's bad," Russ declared.

Max stared at him while Angela glared.

"Be nice," Temperance cried.

"Sweetie, you really need to slow down," Angela advised.

"I can't slow down. After this, I'm making bread. Salad will follow."

"Your kitchen's going to be overloaded," Russ told her.

"You can open up a restaurant," Max said.

"Dad, stop being so weird. I can't open up a restaurant. Oh, I think I need to make macaroni and cheese."

"Booth loves macaroni and cheese," Angela told Max and Russ.

"I need to clean up this place after I finish cooking. I forgot. I need to make fried chicken. Booth can't eat it because he needs healthy food. You can have it."

"Slow down a little," Russ said.

"I will not slow down. I do not need help."

"Yeah you do," Angela insisted. She went over to where the oatmeal cookies were.

"Don't touch the food," shrieked Temperance. Angela backed away.

"She just proved my point," Angela whispered.

"My ears are still ringing from when she shrieked at me," Russ said.

Russ, Max, and Angela sat down on the couch and tried their best to ignore the Temperance who was crazy.

"Booth is going to have way too much food," Angela whispered.

"I think her fridge is going to get too full," Russ whispered.

"Booth will love me so much for making him food," Temperance happily said.

After she finished with the fried chicken, Temperance made rigatoni.

After finally getting done with that, Temperance cleaned her entire apartment.

"She's scaring me," Cam said to Sweets.

"Sooner or later she's going to break and have an epic meltdown," Sweets said.

"That's going to be bad," said Cam.

"Really bad," Caroline echoed.

Temperance went to bed at midnight. She woke up around 2:30, screaming about Booth dying.

Her friends had made a mess of her apartment to keep her busy.

Temperance just saw a dirty apartment. She re-cleaned the entire apartment. She was done by 5:30AM. Because Booth wasn't going to be discharged until 11:30AM, Temperance started to cook spaghetti.

She finished that fast, and then began to make pizza.

When Temperance completed that, she started to make chicken devanne.

"She was done with that by 9:45, so she went over to _Booth's _apartment and cleaned it. Temperance got to the hospital at 11:20.

"Bones, you want to do karaoke night again?" Booth asked.

"Get up slowly and no," Temperance screeched.

Booth sighed. Step 1: Convince Temperance To Go Out, might not go very well.

"You have to be careful," Temperance warned.

"She's completely out of character," Zack told Hodgins.

"She's pushing everything away," Hodgins explained.

"She's burying everything so she doesn't have to deal with it," Sweets said as Temperance tried to help Booth up.

"Bones, I got it," Booth assured her.

"Do you need pudding? I know how much you love it. I should make you some."

"Bones, can you slow down?"

"I am slowed down," the puzzled Temperance told him.

Everyone went to Booth's apartment after he was discharged. Max had brought over all of her cooking equipment, against Russ' wishes.

"Slow down," Temperance advised Booth.

"Bones, I am slow. All I'm doing is sitting on my couch."

"Parker, do you want pudding?" Temperance asked.

"Sure, Bones."

Temperance went to town on instant pudding.

The plan-Step 1-began.

"Brennan, why don't we go to Sids tonight?" Angela asked.

"Too busy," Temperance replied as she started to make muffins.

Ten minutes later, Hodgins said something.

"We should go to the diner," he said.

"I can't. This is important."

"Have you burned yourself at all?" asked a curious Booth.

"Of course not, Booth."

"What's wrong with her?" Rebecca asked.

"She's dealing with the shooting by keeping herself busy and avoiding the situation," Sweets explained.

"I'm going to make meatloaf," Temperance announced when she was finished.

"Why don't we go to the Jeffersonian for a visit?" Cam asked.

"Too busy," Temperance cried.

"We'll go to Step 2 tomorrow," Booth decided.

"Don't hurt her too much," Sweets advised.

"I like all the food Bones has," Parker declared.

"You can eat some of it," Rebecca told him.

"Don't go near the kitchen," Angela warned.

"She'll screech at you shrilly," Russ said. Amy hit him across the back of his head.

"Don't call her shrill," Booth said.

Step 2 began the next day. It was the step that everyone dreaded. Step 3 was to not give her space. Step 4, the last step, would be done by Booth alone.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Alana asked her son. Booth nodded.

"She'll get angry," Angela pointed out as Temperance sprinted from the kitchen to the bathroom.

"She's going to have this place spotless," Max commented.

"Tempe, slow down," Russ called.

A few minutes later, Temperance came out of the bathroom.

"I have to make broiled pork chops," she announced.

"I'm out. I'm not hurting her. I don't want to be cruel," Angela said.

"You can sit out," Booth sighed.

"You're so stupid to be cooking," Hodgins said when Booth gave him the signal.

"Leave me alone," Temperance happily sing-songed.

"I hate you," Russ said.

"Russ, shut up and get out of my kitchen," she cried happily.

"It's my kitchen," Booth pointed out.

"Leave me alone, she said before looking up. Go sit down and be calm."

"I think you deserve everything you ever got," Cam said.

"Thanks, Cam. That really means a lot," Temperance chirped.

Her friends shot each other shocked and panicked looks. Temperance was completely ignoring the fact that she was being insulted.

"We need to go to Step 3 tomorrow," Booth whispered.

"Good luck trying to get near the crazy person," Angela said.

"Angela," warned Booth.

"She is being crazy though, Booth."

"I know that, but she'll just continue to be Bizzaro Bones if we leave her alone."

"Shut up and watch TV," Temperance cheerfully told them.

Everyone left Booth's apartment around 10:00, except for Temperance.

She soon finished baking a marble cake. At 11:00, Temperance re-cleaned Booth's entire apartment.

"Be careful and don't get up too fast," she warned Booth as he got into bed.

"I'll be careful," Booth promised.

Temperance changed into pajamas and slipped into bed with Booth at 11:32.

She woke up sobbing at 2:05AM.

"You're okay," Booth assured her.

"I am okay," Temperance insisted as her sobs abated.

"Bones, will you be able to go back to sleep?"

"No, I won't. I think I'm going to bake éclairs. Go back to sleep. Be careful."

Temperance climbed out of bed and began to bake.

Booth got out of bed at 7:30. Temperance was making homemade ice cream.

"Ice cream will make you feel better," she cried happily.

"Bones, I am feeling better."

"Go back on the couch. I'll take care of everything."

About twenty minutes later, Temperance handed Booth scrambled eggs and toast.

"It's healthy," she told him.

Booth struggled not to say anything. He had to stick to the plan.

Temperance began making a quiche after she cleaned the apartment _again_.

"You need healthy food," she told Booth.

"I do have healthy food," Booth said.

At 10:00AM, their friends filed in.

Angela, against her better judgment, didn't give Brennan any space first.

"Leave me alone and don't touch anything," Temperance happily informed her after a half hour.

Angela sighed and tagged Hodgins in.

He only lasted fifteen minutes before Temperance kicked him out of the kitchen.

Hodgins then tagged Zack in, but poor Zack bolted from the kitchen in fear after seven minutes.

Zack tagged Sweets in, but Temperance drove him away in three minutes.

Booth was then tagged in by Sweets. He lasted for two minutes before Temperance forced him to sit down.

"She'll come back to her normal personality soon," Alana assured her son.

Booth had tagged Russ in, but had only lasted twenty-three minutes. Booth gave up and prepared for Step 4, which would take place the next day.

Temperance cleaned the apartment again after everyone except Angela left.

"I think my apartment is germ free," Booth seriously told Angela.

Angela laughed nervously. Brennan was scaring her. She didn't know how to snap her best friend out of it.

The next morning, Temperance was baking pretzels when Booth woke up. She had woken up at 2:00AM from a nightmare, and just didn't go back to sleep.

"We need to talk, Temperance."

"I'm too busy," she replied as she took the pretzels out of the oven.

"Temperance, please stop," Booth insisted.

She looked up reluctantly.

"Booth, you need to rest and calm down. Please sit."

"Temperance, listen to me. Please."

"I am listening, Booth."

"No, you're not. You're either cleaning, cooking, being overprotective of me, or having nightmares."

"I'm fine," she insisted.

"I know you, Temperance. This is not you being fine."

"Everything's great. You're fine, so I'm fine. Pam Nunan is dead. She deserved to die more painfully."

"Bones, I love you. But you need to accept the fact that something bad happened. I got shot protecting you."

"Stop it," Temperance warned.

"You can't handle what happened, Temperance."

"Stop lying," she cried.

"You got scared. Now you're panicked that I'm going to die."

"Leave me alone," she yelled.

"You don't want me to. You love me too much."

"Stop it," Temperance cried hysterically.

"You need to accept the fact that I got shot."

"Stop it," she insisted, beginning to lose the grip she had on being in denial.

"You need to realize I flat lined in the ambulance. I nearly died!"

"Leave me alone," Temperance screamed.

"You would have never seen me alive again!"

"Shut up," she yelled.

"I would have been in the ground. I would have died. You never would have seen me again."

"Please stop it," Temperance begged, beginning to sob.

"Temperance, it's okay to break down."

"I didn't want you to die," Temperance wailed.

"I know you didn't, Babe. But I'm fine. You don't need to be overprotective, or cook, or clean. You can stop that."

Booth went over to her and gave her a hug. Temperance's sobs went on for half an hour, and slowly died down.

"I cooked so much," she said amazed, looking around the kitchen for the first time with clarity.

"Yeah, you did," Booth told her.

"I can't believe I made so much."

"You were just dealing, Babe. Everything's fine now."

Temperance smiled.

Things were far from okay, but they would be. Therapy with Sweets was definitely in the future.

Temperance and Seeley were happy. They couldn't ask for more.

The End

* * *

I meant to get this up last night before the season finale, but couldn't because of technical difficulties. I'm still in shock from the finale of Bones and House. I read spoilers about Gormogon's apprentice, but I didn't believe them. Yesterday, I had finally crawled myself out of the pit of despair I had been in from last week(Bones,House,The Office,Supernatural,and Numb3rs), and Bones and House dragged me right back in there. I want to do a tag for the season finale, but I can't even think straight. Hopefully, David Cook winning American Idol, Reaper, Grey's Anatomy, and According to Jim will be happy. How I Met Your Mother was happy and dragged me up a little(Barney loves Robin!),but it didn't do much.


End file.
